17th October 2024

• Over the past few years, our Forum has been a partner in the Autism in Schools project, a national scheme which aims to improve support for autistic children and young people in mainstream schools. Our role has been to facilitate parent carer groups in 15 secondary schools across Sheffield. We are delighted that a number of schools have now embedded this project and are continuing to run the parent groups themselves. This means that our involvement in these schools can be phased out, enabling us to reach out to additional schools and settings.

  A similar programme – Partnerships for Inclusion and Neurodiversity in Schools, or PINS for short – launched at ten Sheffield primary schools in May this year and will run until March 2025. As with the Autism in Schools project, the involvement of parent carers and children via dedicated groups is key; our project workers are running the parent carer groups, while national charity KIDS facilitate the children’s groups.

  Schools taking part in the PINS project are:

  • Stocksbridge Nursery Infant School
  • Stocksbridge Junior School
  • Ann’s Grove
  • Meynell
  • Monteney
  • Mundella
  • Bankwood
  • Carfield
  • Fox Hill
  • Southey Green

  If you have a child who attends any of the above schools, please don’t hesitate to contact our project workers, and please do come along to the parent meetings. We are already receiving fantastic feedback from parents from these schools and look forward to seeing the impact of the project.

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  Here’s what some parents have told us:

  “Finally, it feels like someone is listening.”

  “I’ve been so lonely going through all of this, it’s so nice to have the chance to talk to other parents going through the same things.”

  “I think this project is great, it’s already making a difference.”

  “When I come to these meetings it is like seeing a therapist but better, because you are able to offer support, make suggestions or link me with someone who can help.”

  “It’s been so good talking to others who understand – I know now that I’m not crazy and this isn’t all in my head.”